doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Passalis Laura Jiga Iliescu

(coordinator, introductory study and critical edition) Anca Stere, Cristina Neamu. Bucuresti: Cheiron Jiga Iliescu, Laura 2004. O ipostază a “Scrisorii căzute din cer”, la începutul secolului al XX-lea [An hypostasis of the “Letter falled down from the Heaven”, at the beginning og the 21st century]. In: Xenopoliana. Buletinul Fundaţiei Academice “A. D. Xenopol” din Iaşi, XII, 1–4, Iaşi, pp. 165–178 FROM WRITTEN TO ORAL TRADITION. Kapaló, James A. 2011. Text, Context and performance: Gagauz Folk Religion in Dis- SURVIVAL AND TRANSFORMATION OF ST. course and Practice. Leiden: Brill Muşlea, Ion & Bîrlea, Ovidiu 2010. Tipologia folclorului din răspunsurile la Chestionarele SISINNIOS IN ORAL GREEK CHARMS lui B. P. Hasdeu [The typology of folklore from the answers at the Question- naire of B. P. Hasdeu]. Cu un cuvânt înainte de Ion Taloş, ediţia a doua revăzută Haralampos Passalis şi întregită de Ioan. I. Muşlea. Bucureşti: Editura Academiei Române. [1970, Bucureşti: Editura Minerva.] Ofrim, Alexandru 2001. Cheia şi Psaltirea. Imaginarul cărţii în cultura tradiţională The Sisinnios prayer or Gylou story, part prayer part , is an ambigu- ous narrative enjoying an intercultural as well as a diachronic distribution. The românească [The Key and the Psaltery. The imaginary of the book in the Roma- text, which refers to the harmful influence and restraint – through the sacred nian traditional culture]. Cu un cuvânt înainte de Irina Nicolau. Pitesti: Editura intervention of Saints or an Angel – of a female bearing different names Paralela 45. (, Gyllo, Werzelya, Veshtitsa/Aveshtitsa etc., depending on the particular Ong, Walter 1982, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London & ethnic culture from which it has emerged) has received substantial attention from New York: Routledge researchers on an international scale. In the Greek tradition, in which this female Timotin, Emanuela 2005. Legenda duminicii. Studiu monografic, ediţie şi glosar de ... demon is known as Gyllo, Gyloy, Yello or Yalou, there have been recordings of [The legend of Sunday. Monography, edition and glossary by ...]. Cele mai vechi more than thirty versions of the text, spanning a time period from the fifteenth cărţi populare în literatura română, vol. X. Bucureşti: Fundaţia Naţională pentru up to the early twentieth centuries. These recordings are located geographically Ştiinţă şi Artă – Academia Română. in various different parts of , and have been used within the framework of a folk religious context as a means of protection for newborn babies and their Tsonkova, Svetlana, 2011. Practical texts in difficult situations: Bulgarian medieval mothers. What is the effect of this particular story on the oral tradition of charms, charms as Apocrypha and Fachliteratur. In: Incantatio. An international Journal i.e. on those charms which are orally transmitted and performed? What forms on Charms, Charmers and Charming, 1, pp. 25–35. http://folklore.ee/incantatio/ has it assumed, and which particular elements of the written tradition have been Incantatio_2011_1_Tsonkova.pdf transmitted, incorporated, transformed, modified or omitted from charms in the process? The present study aims, on the one hand, to contribute further to the exploration of the well-known myth, and, on the other, to offer additional insight About the author into the interaction between the written and oral tradition of charms in light of the fact that the Gylou story is particularly susceptible to those interpretational Laura Jiga Iliescu is a senior researcher at the Constantin Brailoiu Institute studies which focus on the crucial processes of incorporation and transformation of Ethnography and Folklore in the Romanian Academy (Bucharest, Romania). of the written tradition in the field of oral charms. Her main domains of interest are interference between oral and written cultural Key words: Archangel , Greek oral charms, , Gylou story, expressions during European pre-Industrial times; traditional, modern and female demon, folk religion, Saints, St. Sisinnios prayer, written/oral tradition. virtual religious narratives, rituals and practices; mountain ethnology; the for- malised externalisation of knowledge in oral performance; fieldwork techniques; and archiving and editing documents relating to intangible cultural heritage. INTRODUCTION The text of the so called “St. Sisinnios prayer”, where a “child-stealing witch” (Gaster 1900), or a ‘child-harming’ / ‘child-killing’ female demon (Lyavdansky 2011: 19–20) afflicting new-born children, and pregnant or recently delivered women, has attracted and continues to attract the interest of many researchers of various scientific fields.1 Traces of this story appear in magic plates, scrolls, lead , pendants, illustrated magic , frescoes, “over a time-

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span of several thousand years in many cultures scattered widely around the the visit by her saintly brothers (Sisinnios, one or two others), their admission eastern Mediterranean and in other parts of Europe” (Greenfield 1989: 140).2 after some debate, and the slipping through of Gylou (more often transformed During its diachronic and cross-cultural journey the story has been used as a into a fly) who kills the new baby in the night; 4) the chase, capture, torture of general and structural scheme for the symbolic representation of social fears and the malevolent demon by Melitene’s brother, and negotiation in order to make angst, inscribed in the collective subconscious, regarding afflictions which may her give the children back – Gylou’s demand to drink human milk in order to occur to vulnerable social groups and especially at crucial times of the biological give the children back is miraculously fulfilled and at least one child is given and social cycle of life, such as in pregnancy and in early childhood. Along this back; 5) Gylou is tormented again by saints and then reveals her secret names route the structural pattern of the story remained almost the same, though which work as an against her. variants has appeared mainly in the female demon’s names (Abyzou, Lilith, In the Michael type story, the central role of the sacred personae is often Lilita, Malwita, Zardukh, Lamastu, Alabasandria, Gallu, Gyllo/Gylou, Werze- undertaken by Archangel Michael or some other holy figure (Greenfield 1989: lya, (A)veshtitsa, “Ebedisha,” etc.), and also in the names of sacred personae 92). This type, which follows a simpler encounter pattern contains three basic (Salomon, Sisinnios/Sisynios (and Synidores), Socinius, Sousnyos, prophet Elias, sections, the order of which varies from the text to text (Greenfield 1989: 104): archangels Michael, Gabriel etc.) it features.3 1) an encounter of the archangel Michael (or some other sacred figure) with the In the Greek academic field, this prayer is well known by the name of the demon and description of demon’s appearance followed by archangel’s demand female demon as an exorcism of Gylou, also Gello, Gillou, Gillo, Iallou etc.4 to know where she has come from and where she is going; 2) answers to these (< ancient Greek Γελλώ [Gello], Byzantine/modern Greek Γελλού [Gellou], Γιλλού questions by giving an account of the demon’s actions which includes information [Gillou]).5 A variety of researchers have extensively examined this text as it concerning the disguises she may adopt and the harm and afflictions she may appears in Greek culture from the Byzantine period till nowadays.6 The most cause chiefly to babies and to women during the period immediately before or systematic analysis of the literary evolution of the Greek Gylou story remains, after giving birth (she may also be associated with a wider range of misfortunes); however, the approach of Greenfield (1989). In his research, Greenfield ap- 3) the revelation, after being threatened, of her names which could be used proaches the content and the types of the Greek Gylou story “over a span of as a preventive measure in an amulet or prayer against her harming actions. almost six centuries and quite a wide geographical distribution [and] provides The story of Gylou in any of the aforementioned types, and with greater or an important... insight into the process of traditional interaction, alteration and lesser differentiation, remained alive in Greek traditional culture till the middle development which lies behind the contemporary, the encountered, forms of of the twentieth century, both in the oral/folk and written/learned tradition. such popular belief” (Greenfield 1989: 140). His thorough examination, based The two traditions where this text appears also represent two different systems upon thirty two more or less distinct versions of the story (Greenfield 1989: 90), of communicative technology and at the same time two different systems of resulted in the distinction of two basic motifs and types of this text: Sisinnios/ transmission and performance which are in constant feedback and interrela- Melitene type and the Michael type stories. According to Greenfield (Green- tionship. This paper aims at examining this interrelation and feedback, while field 1989: 92), “Of the thirty-two versions being considered, seven are of the giving special attention to the oral tradition of the story. To begin with, given Sisinnios/Melitene type, twenty two are of Michael type, and a further three that these issues have been approached in detail by previous scholars, we will contains versions of both types”. It is worth mentioning that in both types the briefly examine the written tradition of the text as well as the survivals and same female demon presents herself by using several comprehensible as well traces connected with legends, rituals and superstitions in the context of Greek as incomprehensible names the number of which varies from variation to varia- traditional culture. Then we will try to detect traces of survival and modifications tion and it ranges from 12 to even 72.7 in the charms, in particular those which are orally transmitted and performed. In the first type (Sisinnios/Melitene type) the main characters opposed to the More specifically, the main focus of this research will be on the forms which demon in a fairly elaborate narrative are St. Sisinnios and his relatives, the story of Gylou has assumed and on the special elements which have been particularly his sister Melitene. According to Greenfield (1989: 93) this type incorporated, transformed, modified, or even omitted, during the whole process. divides into five basic sections: 1) Introduction of Melitene who reveals the kill- ing of her children by the evil demon Gylou; 2) the fresh pregnancy of Melitene and her effort of protecting herself by seeking refuge in a fortified castle; 3)

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1. THE WRITTEN TRADITION OF THE TEXT This is not a paradox, since the clergy represent the main body of literacy in Greek traditional culture.15 Frequent ethnographic testimonies verify not only The literary variants of the text (in both of its main types) survived in use until the ownership but also the performance of such texts by priests: “στο χωρίο the early twentieth century. Eleven variants among the most recent ones dat- Απεράθου του νησιού Νάξος συνηθιζόταν ο εξορκισμός να διαβάζεται σε παιδί που έπασχε ing from the eighteenth century to the beginnings of the twentieth follow the από κακό μάτι ή άλλο κακό από ιερείς με τον τίτλο Χαρτί της Ιαλλούς” (In the village of Archangel Michael type: three versions of the eighteenth century,8 four of the Aperathou in an exorcism entitled ‘Paper of Iallous’, was read by priests nineteenth century,9 two from a written of the priest Roboti,10 origi- to a child suffering from the or other afflictions) (Οικονομίδης 1975–76: nating from the island of Lefkada and dated between the end of the nineteenth 260). The variants that Kontomihis publishes derive from a book of blessings and beginning of twentieth century.11 The number of variants that follow the and exorcisms by papa-Roboti, who was a priest in Athani, and also a prominent pattern of Melitene is much smaller. From the eighteenth century until the chiropractor, a skilful doctor, and a mystifying exorcist (Κοντομίχης 1985: 62). beginning of the twentieth century, four such variants have been documented: The specific manuscript was passed on to the priest’s son, also a priest, papa one in a manuscript dated to 1858 from the island of Amorgos (Ήμελλος 1965: Gabriil Roboti, abbot of Faneromenis Monastery, and then to the successor 43–45; HE4 in Greenfield 1989, 90), one dating from the middle of the nineteenth priest in Faneromeni Monastery on the island, papa-Georgaki, who gave it to century (1862) from the town Konitsa in Epiros (Οικονομίδης 1956: 19–23; O3 in the collector (Κοντομίχης 1985: 62–63). Apparently this kind of exorcism has Greenfield 1989, 91), and one variant of a manuscript dating from 1830 from the been current in many parts of Greece. It is certain that further research involv- town Sitia in (Σπυριδάκης 1941–42: 67–68; SP2 in Greenfield 1989, 91).12 ing unpublished manuscripts will reveal an even greater number of variants. Finally, we should note the existence of three more recent variants including both types: one manuscript dated between the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century from the island of Amorgos (Ήμελλος 1965: 47–48; HE6 in 2. THE ORAL TRADITION Greenfield 1989: 91, 92) and two variants of the same period from the island of Naxos (Οικονομίδης 1940: 65–70; O1 and O2 in Greenfield 1989: 92). Nonetheless, what happens with oral tradition, that is the tradition based on The basic characteristics of the texts of the literary tradition are that the word-of-mouth transmission of information? The female demon is known of incantation is passed on written form and its performance is based on reading various dialectal variants such as Γελλού [Gellou], Ελλού [Ellou], Γιλλού [Gillou], or writing the text (cf. χαρτί(α) της Ιαλλούς, γιαλλουδοχάρτι(α) (paper(s) of Iallous), Γ’λλου [G’llou], as well as Γιαλλού [Giallou] and Ιαλλού [Iallou],16 in many Greek Οικονομίδης 1975–76: 260, Ήμελλος 1965: 40 note 6, Στέλλας 2004: 137)13 – in the areas (IΛ, s.v. Γελλού).17 Adequate ethnographic data validate the historical dis- last case, the considered magic quality of those texts is transferred to the object semination with trivial or vital differences. The semantic content of the name on which they are inscribed that is then used as a protective amulet against Gylou with its dialectal variants has incorporated various definitions, which are the ’ attack (Ζερβός 1958: 253–54). All these variants are written in related directly or indirectly to the action of a female malevolent demon. The literary/scholarly language and are performed almost exclusively by priests. most common are: malevolent spirit which harms and kills infants; diseases of Additionally, it should be noted that the texts of exorcism of that type are infancy; a monster that strangles sheep; a ghost that haunts pregnant women; not integrated in the frame of the officially recognized documents of religious a female child born on Christmas night; fairy and elf; a wicked (or immoral) practices, and often trigger conflicts with clergymen higher in the hierarchy woman who casts evil–eye spells.18 Numerous traditions and superstitions are (Οικονομίδης 1940: 65, 1975–76, 26, Στέλλας 2004: 137). They are not, however, found related to these meanings in different parts of Greece. regarded as improper within the frame of the folk religious system, since, on These traditions have been recorded and analytically presented by renowned the one hand they are not in direct opposition with the concept of Christian Greek scholars (Oeconomides 1965, Οικονομίδης 1975, Αικατερινίδης 1990). The perception, and on the other, they portray many similarities, primarily in the supplementary elements reported on this article simply substantiate and en- expression and content, with the officially recognised exorcisms and . hance the dissemination of this myth, which appears vast in areas where perti- The fact remains, however, that they are based on a pre-Christian tradition nent information supports the survival and parallel use of the literary variants.19 and are used in parallel with recognised prayers.14 The correlation between the female demon and a woman who casts spells (or a It is notable that almost all variants are in possession of priests often in female figure who follows a similar pattern of malevolent actions with fairies manuscripts and codes of churches and monasteries (Ήμελλος 1965: 40, 41).

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and elves) is evident, even in those complementary testimonies. The following was not supposed to be left alone at all; in the evening no one besides her ethnographic testimonies from are indicative of such a connection: husband and close kin were supposed to enter the house. A breach of any of these interdictions, or contact with a corpse, meant loss of her milk. when the recently delivered woman became ill and died from fever, people (Stewart 1991: 101) presumed that Giallou had casted an evil eye spell. Every disease that either the baby or the recently delivered mother suffered, they said Giallou Other historical evidence, with a wide dissemination in oral tradition, relates had cursed them. They still do so. (Στέλλας 2004: 137) to the transformation of the female demon into a serpent23. The following tra- dition from Paros is a characteristic example for this type of metamorphosis: Giallou is the one who chases and casts evil eye spells on newborn and unbaptized children and that is why she can strangle them. (Στέλλας 2004: Gello (or presently and traditionally named Giallou) [...] was unmar- 136–37)20 ried when she fell pregnant and died in labour. Since then seeking for vengeance, she turned into an evil elf. Incantations from Paros against The malicious deeds of the female demon are not limited to harming newborns reptiles and insects which torment humans refer to her as ‘ftavoutou’ or and parturient women, but expand to other people as often happens also in ‘efta voutou’ and ‘ftaloutrou or efta loutrou’ (one who dives in the seashore written tradition: “She is the source of so many , that is she drinks, drains and showers seven times). Her infinite transformations are also seven the milk of parturient women, destroys the fruit, the crops, sinks the ship and (dragon, monster, snake, leaping or flying) in order to enter in wherever drowns the seamen and infects whatever she touches” (Στέλλας 2004: 136–37).21 she desires. Habitually she dives into the seashore (Voutou, Loutrou) to Evidence of literary tradition of the first type regarding the danger of Gial- transform, or to escape when being chased. Traditionally [...] she is re- lou’s invasion, is widespread and can be found those areas where the literary ferred to as: the one who lives in the seashore (gialou), the evil fairy (katsa types are also used, for instance in Cycladic Paros and Naxos. According aneragdou), the one who dives into the seashore (voutixtra), the one who to ethnographic data from Paros: casts an evil eye spell (ftarmistra), who is wicked (kakistra), who acts As long as the recently delivered woman was unchurched [...] and even maliciously (striglistra) and the one who strangles babies (pniompaidou). later, after having her child blessed by church, they avoided going to her (Στέλλας 2004: 136–37)24 house late at night, as Gialou would enter with them [...] The door was Her name is intentionally cited in incantations for protection against danger- always leaning and was closed early. In dire need, the door would open, ous land reptiles, primarily used when people had to sleep outside to attend if a relative or a stranger knocked three times, formed crosses with his agricultural work. The following extracts of incantations “against dangerous fingers and uttered sacred words. (Στέλλας 2004: 112–113) land reptiles” are typical examples of this connection: Whoever entered the house knew that Gialou followed. [...] If she failed to Αι Γιώργη μου,|25 δένε και χαλίνωνε τα συρνάμενα της γης,| τον όφη τσαι την enter she would imitate animal sounds and human voices, to trick them, όχεντρα,| την Ελλού τσαι τη Μαντού, |το μικρόν αγραλινάτσι [...] to slightly open the door so that she could get inside in a prone position... But once she was indoors she would lay her big nails and squint-eyes to St George,| bind and put a harness to the land reptiles, | the snake and infect anything she touched. (Στέλλας 2004: 113)22 the viper, | Ellou, Mantou | the small spider in the field [...]. (, Μιχαηλίδης-Νουάρος 1935: 21–22) Moreover, according to an account from Naxos: Αϊ- Γιώργη μετά σου| και κυρά Πεντακλησού,| δένε και χαλίνωνε| το Βραχνά και The Yalou [local spelling] was a demon that trailed people to find an open τη Γελλού,| τον όφη και την όχεντρα [...] door after midnight at houses of unbaptized children. The Yalou followed St George and Virgin Mary of the five churches, | bind and restrain | the person entering the house and killed the child. To protect her child the nightmare and Gellou, | the snake and the viper [...]. (Αικατερινίδης a mother had to keep a cross made from cane and a piece of bread (on 1990: 244)26 which she had traced the sign of the cross) beneath the child’s pillow [...] The unchurched mother was not even supposed to leave her baby for a mo- Αι-Γιάννη βούθα μας, βούθα μας τριβούθα μας.| Τρεις αντζέλοι του Χριστού τσαι ment, because, it was said, mice might eat it. A recently delivered mother τρεις της Παναγιάς,| γέσετε, χαλινώσετε τα συρνούμενα της γης,| τα πονηρά της

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νύχτας, τηγ Γελλού, τημ Μαλλού, τη Ξαθθού,| τη Μιαλοτσεφαλού, τον όφιο, την κι εγώ να ξεράσω| των εννιά μηνώ το παιδί,| το συνωροκαμωμένο.| Εγιαγείρανε όφιεντρα το σκορπιό, τη σκολόπεντρα, το μιρκό το ρωαλλάτσι| απουκάτω στο γρινιασμένοι, χτικιασμένοι.| Κατά χαρίς Θεού ευρέθη μια προβατίνα,| ψοφισμένη, πλακάτσι, ώστα να βγ’ ο ήλιος [...]| να συνάξω τα σατσιά μου| τσαι να μτσάσω τα βαρεμένη| και αρμέγουνε στσι καταπαλάμες ντως το γάλα,| και τση το πήγανε και παιδιά μου| τσαι να πάω στηβ βουλειά μου. το ’πιε| και ανατρόπιασε από τσι εβδομήντα δυο τση φλέγες| κι εξέρασε οβράκια, St. Ioanni, help us, thrice help us.| Three Angels of Christ and Virgin οφιδάκια, λιακονάκια| κι ένα παληκαράκι με τ’ άρματα ζωσμένο. Mary,| bind and put a harness on the crawling land reptiles,| the evil of There were five brothers| and they had one sister| lady Melitene. Nine the night, Gellou, Mallou, Ksathou | Mialotsefalou [‘who has a big head’], children she had| yet none was left.| Her brothers built a golden tower the snake, the viper, the scorpion, the caterpillar, the poisonous bags | and put her in it.| And with God’s grace she got pregnant again| and under the rocks until sunrise [...]| to collect my sacks, | to gather my gave birth to a boy.| And her brothers found out, and ran| to offer their children | and go to my work. (, Μιχαηλίδης-Νουάρος 1932: 159)27 gifts | and rejoice.| With God’s grace they knocked at the door,| but it was locked.| – Let us in sister, for we have gifts to offer| and rejoice.| – I won’t open my brothers, because there lurks , Mouda,| the evil 3. FROM WRITTEN TO ORAL TRANDITION neighbour,| and she will invade to take my nine–month baby, the new- born.| – Let us in, our sister, | and we carry guns, knives, hoes| to kill her.| Yet she did not transform into a mule or a calf| to enter and take| 3.1 THE MELITENE TYPE the nine– month child,| the newborn,| but she became a fly and sneaked Can we find charms in oral tradition which maintain traces from literary texts?28 in, stuck on the horse’s abdomen and took her nine-month child,| the Yes indeed, both traces and fuller examples of both types are identifiable in newborn.| – Run, my brothers,| before she crosses the river,| before she incantations performed and transmitted orally, with variations either vital or sits on her stool,| before she hugs her husband,| take back from her the trivial. Let us examine the following charm against the evil eye from the vil- nine-month child,| the newborn.| They ran and approached her,| before lage of Asi Gonia in (Crete), which was recorded by Αικατερινίδης (1990: she crosses the river,| before she sits on her stool, | before she hugs her 249– 251) in 1964: husband.| – Give us back the nine-month child,| the newborn,| whom you took from our sister.| – If you can vomit | the mother’s milk, then I Ως είχαν οι πέντε αδελφοί| κι είχανε μια αδελφή,| την κερά Μελετινή. Εννιά παιδάκια can too gush out the nine-month child, | the newborn.| They returned dis- είχενε| κανένα δεν τ’ απόμεινε.| Πύργο χρυσό εκάνανε και μέσα την εβάλανε οι tressed, disappointed, irritated.| With God’s grace an ewe was unearthed,| γι-αδελφοί τση.| Και χάρη του Θεού ευρέθη βαρεμένη| και έκανε αρσενικό παιδί.| dead, pregnant| and they milk it with their hands,| and took it to her to Κι ακούσανε οι γι-αδελφοί τση κι ετρέχανε,| τα δόσια να δώσουν| τσι χαρές να drink it| and she was terrified by her seventy-two veins| and threw up κάμουν.| Κατά χαρίς Θεού εχτυπήσανε την πόρτα| και τη βρήκαν σφαλιστή.-Άνοιξε Jewish children, little snakes, little lizards| and an armoured young boy. μας, αδελφή μας, τα δόσια να δώσουμε| τσι χαρές να κάμουμε.| -Δεν σας ανοίγω, (Against the evil eye, Αικατερινίδης 1990: 249–251) αδέλφια μου, γιατί ’ναι η Σούδα, η Μούδα,| η κακιά γειτόνισσα,| και θα μπεί να μου πάρει των εννιά μηνών το παιδί, το συνωροκαμωμένο.| -Άνοιξε μας, αδερφή μας,| We are undoubtedly presented here with a rhythmic oral variant of the well- κι εμείς κρατούμε κουμπούρια, μαχαίρια, σκαπέτια| να τηνε σκοτώσουμε|. Εκείνη known Melitene type, expressed in the regional dialect. Influences and correla- δεν εγίνη μουλάρι γή μουσχάρι| να μπει να τση πάρει| των εννιά μηνώ το παιδί,| το tions with almost all parts of literary variants of that type can be discerned. συνωροκαμωμένο,| μον’ εγίνη μύγια| και εμπήκε κοιλιά κοιλιά του αλόγου| και τση The charm begins by referring to Melitene and her brothers, as well as to the πήρε των εννιά μηνώ το παιδί,| το συνωροκαμωμένο.| -Γλακάτε, αδέρφια μου,| πριν revelation of her children’s loss, and it continues with her brother’s attempt to τον ποταμό περάσει,| πριν το σκαμνί τση κάτσει,| πριν το άντρα τση αγκαλιάσει,| protect her by building a tower (parts 1 and 2 of the literary examples). What να τση πάρετε των εννιά μηνώ το παιδί,| το συνωροκαμωμένο.| Εγλακούσαν και follows then is a reference to her new pregnancy, the reason for her brothers’ την εφτάξανε,| πριν τον ποταμό περάσει,| πριν το σκαμνί τση κάτσει,| πριν το άντρα visit to her. Melitene’s initial refusal to admit them results in her brothers reas- τση αγκαλιάσει.| -Να μασε δώσεις των εννιά μηνώ το παιδί,| το συνωροκαμωμένο,| suring her that they would protect Melitene’s baby if necessary. Subsequently, απού ’πήρες τσ’ αδελφής μας.| -Α δύνασθε να ξεράσετε| τση μάνας το γάλα, δύναμαι the female demon, transformed into a fly, invades and kills the baby (part 3 in

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the literary examples). The brothers chase and capture the female demon, and crossed the river backwards| and so they reach their sister’s door.| – Come claim the baby back. Melitene’s demand to drink the mother’s milk in exchange out, sister, to open the door| with your sad face.| – And how should I let for the child is met, resulting in her vomitting up the children (part 4 of the you in, my brothers, for tsigra, migra, the one born at a cursed moment, literary forms). The fifth part of the literary variants regarding the fresh tor- sits on your horses’ legs;| – Let us in, our sister,| and we will beat her,| ment of the demon and the disclosure of names is entirely omitted. Noticeably, we will torture her,| throw her into the river| and with the black handled this incantation retains the name ‘Melitene’ while having no reference to the knife| will stab her.| And she immediately got up and let them in| and name ‘Gylou’, which is rather replaced by a series of nonsensical words: Σούδα, tsigra, migra killed her nine children.| And they caught and hit her,| η Μούδα [Souda, Mouda], someone who is identified with the evil neighbour ( and dumped her into the river| and tortured her,| and stabbed her with “η κακιά γειτόνισσα”). the black handled knife.|– What have I done to you,| and you beat me,| There are two more charms from Crete based on the equivalent tradition of torture me,| throw me into the river| and with the black handled knife/ Melitene type. These are variants recorded during the first decades of the twen- stab me?| – Go, Tsigra, Migra, and bring our sister’s children.| And it tieth century, and also used against the evil eye. Despite having evolved from was then that Christ walked by and blessed with his hand the milk of a this type, these incantations demonstrate more diversity compared with the black slaughtered animal and the nine children of the nine brothers’ sister literary variants. We cite here only one of the two (B), as they are both quite resurrected. They put their clothes in the right way and rode their horses similar with but few differences. properly and in this way crossed the river and returned home. (Πάγκαλος 1983: 362–63) Στ’ όνομα του Χριστού και τ’ αγιού Παντελεήμονα.| Ήτανε εννιά αδέρφια κι είχανε μιαν αδερφή.| Τη σπιτώσαν, την παντρέψαν| και την ενοικοκυρέψαν κι έκαμε και The incantation begins with a general reference to the nine brothers with one εννιά κοπέλλια.| Κι επήγαινε και τση τα τρωε η τσίγκρα, η μίγκρα, τση κακής ώρας sister whose children had been eaten by a female demon (part 1 of the literary το γέννημα. Κι έμαθα ντο οι γι-εννιά αδερφοί κι ευτύς εξεκινήσαν.| Ξανάστροφα examples). No names are mentioned. In the previous charm (A), the typical ντυθήκανε κι ετσά καβαλλικέψαν| κι ούλοι τωνε ξανάστροφα τον ποταμό διαβαίνουν| number 9 defined the number of children, whilst now 9 identifies the number και φτάνουνε ξανάστροφα στην πόρτα τσ’ αδερφής των. -Πόρισε, αδερφή, ν’ of brothers. Here, the female demon is described as τσίγκρα, η μίγκρα, τση κακής ανοίξεις| με το μαραμέν’ αχείλι.| -Και πώς θα πορίσω, αδέρφια μου, που κάθεται ώρας το γέννημα (tsigra, migra, the creature born at a cursed moment).29 The στα κότσια τω μπεγιριώ σας η τζίγκρα, η μίγκρα και τση κακής ώρας το γέννημα; | new pregnancy of the sister along with the building of the castle to protect -Πόρισε, συ, αδέρφι μας,| μα ’μεις θα τηνε δείρομε,| θα τηνε μαγκλαβίσομε,| στον her newborn children are not cited (part 2 of literary forms). The indication ποταμό θα τηνε ρίξομε και με το μαυρομάνικο μαχαίρι θα τση χτυπήσομε.| Κι of how the female demon entered into the castle (part 3 of literary types) is εκείνη εσηκώθηκε ευτύς και των ανοίγει |κι η τσίγκρα τση θανάτωσε και τα εννιά evident only in Melitene’s words to her brothers when they plead her to open κοπέλλια.| Κι εκείνοι την επιάσανε και την εδείρανε, στον ποταμό τη ρίξανε| και the door of the castle.30 Omissions and vital differences emerge in the pursuit την εμαγκλαβίσανε,| και με το μαυρομάνικο μαχαίρι τση χτυπήσανε.| -Είντα σας of, torture of, arrest of, and negotiations with the female demon (part 4 of the έκαμα, μωρέ,| και με δέρνετε,| με μαγκλαβίζετε, στον ποταμό με ρίχνετε| και με literary examples). In the final part of this oral charm a sacred figure, Christ, το μαυρομάνικο μαχαίρι μου χτυπάτε; -Να πάεις, τσίγκρα, μίγκρα, να μασε φέρεις appears, blesses the milk of a slaughtered animal and consequently the children τσ’ αδερφής μας τα παιδιά. Και τότες επέρνα ο Χριστός κι ευλόησε στη χέρα ντου return. Nevertheless, the role of the milk and how the female demon gave the του μαύρου σφαχτού το γάλα κι ανασταθήκανε των εννιά αδερφώ τσ’ αδερφής τα children back are not specified. The fifth part of the literary variants regarding εννιά παιδιά. Καλόστροφα ντυθήκανε κι ετσά καβαλλικέψαν κι ετσά περνούν τον the fresh torment of the demon and the disclosure of names is also omitted. The ποταμό στο σπίτι ντω γαέρνουν. discernible adaptations and modifications, which come up when we compare In the name of Christ and Saint Panteleimon.| There were nine brothers and contrast this charm with the previous one, are anticipable. Undeniably, the who had one sister.| They housed, married and settled her| and she gave structural frame of this incantation is the literary variant of the Melitene type. birth to nine children.| And tsigra, migra, the creature born at a cursed Indirect confirmations and distant traces of the Melitene type appear in an- moment, ate them.| And the nine brothers found out and set off | imme- other incantation (C) from the oral tradition, once again documented in Crete. diately.| Wearing their clothes back to front they rode their horses| and

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Θάρμισε μια γυναίκα ένα παιδί κι απόθανε.| Της έδωσαν τότε γάλα ψοφισμένης After the sunset, at twilight| the Good Lady set off to go hunting,| riding προβατίνας,| το πιε, εξέρασε ό,τι είχε θιαρμισμένα.| Ως τα ξέρασε αυτά| να ξεράσει her horse backwards with her hair down.| Michael the Angel meets her το αίμα της καρδίας του,| απού εθιάρμισε τον [...]. and asks:| “Where are you going, my fine Lady, my good Lady| riding A woman casted the evil eye on a child and the child died.| Then they your horse backwards with your hair down?| –I am going to wither girls, gave her milk from a dead ewe,| drank it and vomited whatever she had harm animals, unyoke oxen, kill the bad mother’s son.| – Do not go to casted. As she vomited those,| the blood from his heart of one who casted wither girls, unyoke oxen, kill the bad mother’s son. But, do go away in the evil eye on the [...] (name of afflicted child), should similarly gush out. the mountains, find the stag, penetrate its head and yawn. (Therissos, (Against the evil eye, Χριστοδουλάκης 2011: 287) Βαρδάκης 1926–28: 245)

In this charm, which uses the parallel type, the objective element of the charm Ο Χριστός επήαινε τσ’ η Ελλού του πάντηξε. –Πού πάεις, Ελλού αρκαοντυμένη; – is designated in the form of narration (Πασσαλής 2000, 200) and associated with Πάω να κάμω μάννα τσαι κόρη να σφαεί, καλόν αντρόυνο να μαχιστεί, καλού οσκού two basic aspects of the story. Firstly with the milk used to restore the damage μαντρί να ξεκουδουνώσω, καλό θεμέλιο να ρίξω κάτω, καλό δενδρί να ξεριζώσω, and secondly with the vomiting of children.31 καλής σκρόφας ουρούνια να μαράνω. –Στρέψ’ απ’ ατού, Ελλού, τσ’ άμε στο γυρογιάλι, που ’χει άλοο σιεροπόι, σιεροκάλικο τσαι μελανό συκώτι. Από ’τσει να φάεις τσ’ από τσει να μπτσεις τσαι λείψ’ απού τους χριστιανούς τους θεοφοούμενους. 3.2 THE MICHAEL TYPE The Christ set out and encountered Ellou. –Where are you going Ellou Are there charms in oral tradition that retain elements or traces of the written in your scales?– I am going to trigger conflict between a mother and a literary Michael type? The described encounter upon which this type is struc- daughter, make a good couple quarrel, destroy the pen of a good shepherd, tured, is common to the oral tradition of the current Greek charms. It actually pull down every solid foundation, uproot a good tree, kill a good sow’s constitutes a characteristic structural frame of a wide category of Greek oral piglets. –Turn back, Ellou, and go by the shore where a strong horse with incantations (Πασσαλής 2000: 176–177), which rely on the encounter of a sacred a cast-iron leg on an iron horseshoe and a black liver stands. You shall person with an evil power who is often bound to cause harm. The order that eat there and go away from the devout Christians. (Μιχαηλίδης-Νουάρος the core characters appear in is of no importance. The following stereotypical 1935: 14–15) dialogue is of this form: ‘–Where are you going? – I’m going to harm that person’. The second part includes the therapeutic intervention of the supporting persona What is actually portrayed in incantations D and E? The former illustrates a who dispels the demonic figure and usually exiles it to secluded, inaccessible female demon that, though not named, is obviously a demonic female power on places where it is unable to cause harm, thus annulling its malevolent activity. the verge of causing harm. The latter depicts a dialect variation of the name Some oral incantations, which are apparently associated with the second Gellou as Ελλού [Ellou]. In Ellou’s response, in D, we also identify a correlation type of the story, are exemplified here as case in point. In these examples (D with her wicked activity towards children and women, also evident in incanta- and E) the assisting power is either Archangel Michael (D) or another sacred tion E, yet having a more generalized effect. However, regarding the way the persona, usually the Christ (E), while the malevolent agent is a female demonic sacred figure confronts the female demon, there is no indication of any influence figure related, either directly or indirectly, to Gylou. of literary tradition on the relevant part of either incantations. Conversely, this part follows the common element of the expulsion of the hostile power, which Ως άστραψε η ανατολή κι εκίνησεν η δύση| εκίνησ’ η κερά Καλή να πα να κυνηγήσει,| is typically encountered in many evil-eye charms (Πασσαλής 2000: 181–182). ξανάστροφα καβαλλαρέ και τα μαλλιά τση κάτω. Μιχαήλ Άγγελος τσ’ απαντήχνει In these incantations the female demon is the personified figure of the evil- και τση λέει:| ‘Πού πάεις, κερά Καλή, κερά Καλικωμένη,| ξανάστροφα καβαλλαρέ eye spell (aβασκαντήρα, βασκαντήρα, βασκα-βασκανία [avaskantira, vaskantira, και τα μαλλιά σου κάτω;’| –Πάω κοράσια να μαράνω, οζά να ξελερώσω, βούγια να vaska-vaskania]):32 ξεζευλώσω, τση κακής μάννας το γιο να θανατώσω.| –Μη πάς κοράσια να μαράνεις, οζά να ξελερώσεις, βούγια να ξεζευλώσεις, τση κακής μάνας το γιο να θανατώσεις. Κίνησ’ αβασκαντήρα, χαλκομαντλισμένη, χαλκοποδιμένη, χαλκοτσιμπερωμένη. Μόνο να πας στα όρη στα βουνά, να βρεις τ’ άγριν λάφιν να μπεις στο κεφάλι του Στη στράτα, που πάγαινε, Χριστός ν’ απάντησε [...]. και να σχαμουριέσαι κιόλας.

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Avaskantira set off wearing kerchief and copper shoes. On her way she happened in the distant past. It is worth mentioning that all the documented encountered Christ [...]. (Ρούσιας 1912–13: 51) charms of this type are for use against the evil eye and have been recorded in various parts of Crete, including in the same geographical district of Chania. Κίνησε βασκαντήρα, βασκαμένη,| ανάποδα μαντ’λισμένη,| ανάποδα τσιμπερωμένη Incantation A was recorded by Aικατερινίδης (1990) in 1986 in the village Asi ανάποδα φορεμένη.| Τα δέντρα ξερριζώνοντα.| Και τα β’να ραΐζοντα [...] Νε βρήκε Gonia, western of Chania county, while the two equivalent ones, are documented Χριστός και Παναΐα κι’ ν’ αρωτήσανε. –Πού πας, βασκαντήρα [...]. by the same collector, during the first decades of the twentieth century. One in There goes vaskantira wearing her kerchief and clothes back-to-front.| Nio Chorio situated northeast of the county of Chania in the area called Kis- The trees are uprooted and the mountains crack [...] Christ and Virgin , whereas the other in the area Armeni in the central part and northwest Mary found her and asked – “Where are you going, vaskantira” [...]. (Evia, of the county in the province . There is no information about the Σέττας 1976: 280) area of documentation for the third charm (C). However it originates from Βάσκα βασκανία, [...] Ο Χριστός και τ’ Άγιο πνεύμα κι η κυρά η Παναγία [...] Ήρθε Crete. It is by no means coincidental that all the variants derive from an area και επέρασε ο Μιχαήλ αρχάγγελος [...]. where there is a confirmed parallel use of the literary exorcism of that type (Σπυριδάκης 1941–42: 67–68). What is also noteworthy is that the first incanta- Vaska vaskania, [...] Christ and the Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary [...] There tion, recorded in the second half of the twentieth century, is the most inclusive comes and goes archangel Michael [...]. (Mani, Τσουμελέας 1912–13: 289) and the closest to the literary variation, illustrating that the tradition of the Is it plausible to claim that these oral incantations follow the literary Archangel Melitene type remains alive and endures throughout the twentieth century. Michael type? Although the elements of such an association are traceable, it is Research would certainly reveal further variants of the same type at least in difficult to support this conclusion. So what is real situation? The study of the Crete, within a region where, in addition to the documented literary variants variants of this type demonstrates that traces of the literary story were embed- of the story, sufficient testimonies have been acquired for the dissemination of ded into a predetermined frame of oral incantations which either preceded or the legend since the Venetian era35. simply existed in parallel with the literary use of this type. Not surprisingly, instances of an encounter with a male personification of the evil eye βαμός( , δαρμός, φταρμός, λουλλdάς, χαρκάς [, darmos, ftarmos, tharmos, loulldas, 4. THE CONNECTION WITH THE EVIL EYE charkas]) are much more frequent.33 The initial frame upon which the myth The association of the evil eye spell with disfigured external features of women is was adapted involved the encounter of a sacred power with a male personified well disseminated in Greek oral tradition. Such women are even called γελλούδες figure of the evil. This is illustrated in one incantation by the change of the [gelloudes]36 and are often mentioned in incantations against the evil eye spell female name Ellou into the male Ελλουάς [Ellouas]: (Αικατερινίδης 1990: 241): Ο Χριστός επήαινε, ο Ελλουάς του πάντηξε, είπε του: ‘Πού πάεις καρκαντυμένε, Η Παναγία η Δέσποινα ελούσθη, εχτενίσθη,| στο χρυσό της θρανίο έκατσε| και καρκαπαωμένε, καρκάν την όψην έχεις τσαι μελανόν συκώτι’; – ‘Πάω να κάμω μάν- περάσανε οι γελλούδες, [...]| και μαδήσαν τα μαλλιά της και φυράξαν τα βυζά της.| να τσαι κόρη να σφαού, καλόν αντρόυνο να χωρίσει, καλά αέρφ’τσα να κατακόψω, Ο Δεσπότης Χριστός περνά και την ρωτά [...]. καλά ’ουρούνια να μαράνω, [...].’ The Virgin Mary washed and combed her hair,| sat on her golden throne| Christ was on his way, when Ellouas met him and told him: “Where are and gelloudes went by [...]| and her hair fell and her breast withered.| you heading off dressed in scales, with sharp expression and a black liver?” Christ went by and asked her [...]. (Against the evil eye, Crete, Κουτουλάκη – “I am going to make a mother and a daughter argue, to separate a good 1962: 196–97) couple, to harm good brothers, to kill fine pigs [...].” (Kasos, Μιχαηλίδης- Νουάρος 1935: 13) The effect of the evil eye spell cast by gelloudes targets everyone, yet it primarily aims at small children. In the incantation (A) against the evil eye spell which In the above mentioned oral charms, we observe the literary incident of the evolves from the Melitene type, Gylou is substituted by the wicked neighbor. story of Gylou modified into a rhythmic34 narrative, oral charm and formulated Γελλούδα [Gellouda] is also the name of a disease affecting small children, caused with the regional lay dialect, in the form of a separate narration of an incident

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by the malicious deeds of these women who curse the child, speak ill of it and cast the evil eye spell (Αικατερινίδης 1990: 252), while in the island of Kalimnos the children who suffer from this disease are called γιαλλουτζιασμένα [giallout- ziasmena] (Ζερβός 1958: 253). In Crete, to deal with this disease they follow a ritual called the stabbing of gellouda.37 The root cause of those women’s deeds is hatred. Unsurprisingly, ζήλα [zila (jealousy)] is included in the catalogue of women with malformed external characteristics, who encounter Virgin Mary and cast the evil eye spell (Cyprus, Κυριαζής 1926: 90–91, Κυπριανός 1968: 178, Σπανός 1993: 304). Testimonies and evidence of the correlation between hatred, jealousy, the evil eye spell and the prayer of Saint Sisinnios are documented much earlier from a wide category of extant bronze or copper pendant-amulets which “are attributable to the early Byzantine period (sixth/seventh century)” (Spier 1993: 60)38. These amulets, according to Spier (ibid. 61–62): Figure 1. ΦΘΟΝΟΣ (envy), “Seal of Salomon, Dispel any evil from the one who bears it”. Amulet of sixth/seventh century against envy (early Byzantine period). show on one side the nimbate ‘rider saint’ spearing the female demon, and (Schlumberger 1892: 74) on most examples he is accompanied by an angel who raises one wing [...] Although the evil-eye is a common infection and subject matter of many texts Especially characteristic of the group is the use of the formula (in several for exorcism, in some of which is personified (Reitzenstein 1904: 295, cod. Pari- variants): ‘Flee, detested one, Solomon (or Sisinnios and Sisinnarios, or sinus 2316), a direct connection between Gylou and the evil eye is not frequent a similar phrase) pursues you...’ [...] The reverses depict complex scenes in the literary variants of the text. Importantly, the term βασκοσύνη [vaskosini mixing magical images of the Evil Eye (once labelled <ΦΘΟΝΟΣ>, envy, (evil eye)] in the previously cited exorcism is not included in the list revealed serpents, lions and the female demon, [...]39 by Gylou herself. The name βασκανία [vaskania (evil eye)], as part of the name Indicative of this connection is the amulet (see figure 1) first published inRevue list for the female demon, is only found in a more recent variant, belonging des Études Greques (Schlumberger 1892: 74).40 Possibly the female demon of to a priest in the village Vourtsi in Amorgos (Ήμελλος 1965: 47). The citation the prayer had formerly been connected to the evil eye spell in oral tradition. of this name is probably a recent addition by a scribe, also a priest (Ήμελλος Equally, the charms elements were considered as particularly efficient against 1965: 41) while copying from another priest’s document, or is attributable to the the evil eye spell. In a variation of the Archangel Michael type prayer on a 15th widespread association of the evil eye spell with the deeds of a female demon century codex (Parisinus 2316, 318v ff, Reitzenstein 1904: 297–98), the female in folk tradition. The influence of the lay oral ritual on the literary tradition demon whom Archangel meets and confronts is cold: βασκοσύνη [vaskosini] of the text is depicted in one of those exorcisms (Ήμελλος 1956: 43) of the same (=evil eye). Perdrizet (1922: 24) comments on the occurrence of that name, and area, when the priest read it to the child suffering from fever or the evil eye remarks: “Quant à βασκοσύνη aucun nom ne saurait mieux convener à nôtre (Ήμελλος 1956: 50 note 3). diablesse l’envie, la jalousie étant le caractère essential des esprits du Mal, et la fascination, le mauvais oeil, leur moyen de nuire le plus redutable”.41 CONCLUSION Undeniably, traces and influences of the literary variants of both the Melitene and the Archangel Michael type have affected the formation, structure and narration of modern oral Greek charms. Specifically, the Melitene literary type changes into a rhythmic narrative oral incantation, expressed in the regional dialect preserving sufficient elements of the original myth with the expected modifications and transformations which rule the production and reproduc-

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tion of the oral incantations. Nonetheless, the survival of this type is limited ten tradition; it is often difficult, however, to validate this interrelation in its and it is mainly encountered in those areas of Crete where we have a certified, reverse route from the lay to literary or from the oral to the written. parallel use of its literary variants. In this area the myth of this female demon stays alive at least until the mid twentieth century. It is more difficult to detect existing literary variants of the Michael type. NOTES Features of this type are traced in oral incantations which are structured upon the pattern of the encounter between an evil power and a sacred person. The 1 The historical approach of the prayer from different perspectives has resulted in a wide and extensive bibliography on this topic. Some of the most representative studies are: influence of the literary type upon those incantations is plausible solely in that Gaster 1900; Perdrizet 1922; Winkler 1931; Barb 1966; Müller 1974; Greenfield 1989; part of the oral charms related to the encounter between the core characters Naveh & Shaked 1998: 111–122, 188–197; Spier 1993; Ryan 2006. For a broader and and their subsequent stereotypical dialogue. Conversely, in these oral charms more detailed representative bibliography see Greenfield 1989, 83–84 note 1. See also the part referring to the extermination of the evil power does not follow the note 3. Indicative of the increased interest in the Sisinnios prayer is the cross cultural project titled “The Sisinnios Prayer in literature, fine arts and magic rituals (Eastern literary variants, but instead a different but recognizable pattern of expulsion. and South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Africa)” that is currently The study of the variants of this type demonstrates that traces of the literary under process by the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH) under the story were embedded into a predetermined frame of oral charms which either supervision of Andrei Toporkov, Lecturer at the Marc Bloch Russian-French Centre for preceded or simply existed in parallel with the literary use of this type. Historical Anthropology, at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH). It has also been inferred that the sections including the disclosure of the 2 Indicative of the history and survival of the story is the title of Gaster’s (1990) ar- names of the female demon are omitted. The latter omission can be easily ticle: “Two Thousand Years of a Charm against the Child-Stealing Witch”. According to Lyavdansky (2011: 20) “the concept in question may have been born in Ancient explained as it is associated, on the one hand, with the change of function of Mesopotamia, not later than in the Old Babylonian period (1800–1600 BCE). It was the text, and on the other, with the communicative technology applied for its borrowed by adjacent -speaking people in Syria, as attested by the text from transmission and performance of oral charms (Passalis 2011a). The reading or Arslan Tash (ca. 7th c. BCE), and by the creators of Aramaic magic bowls in Sassanian writing of the literary forms functions as a preventive, precautionary measure Mesopotamia (5th–7th cc. CE). It is most natural to think that the ‘strangling female demon’ was inherited by the Syriac charm tradition from the tradition of Aramaic against affliction which may affect newborn babies and also women during magic bowls together with many other figures, motives and formulas common to the period before or after they give birth. The change of function of text into these two traditions”. It worth also noting that archaeological discoveries, mainly being a therapeutic healing measure against an affliction which has already amulets, pendants, defixiones, iconographic representations have permitted a more struck removes the need to mention these names. Moreover, the communicative holistic approach of this tradition, since its interpretation and decodification extends the limits of the written text, see Perdrizet 1922; Müller 1974: 91–102; Spier 1993; technology of oral charms is based on verbal and memorial transmission and Naveh & Shaked 1998; Grotowski 2009: 74–85; Giannobile 2004; cf. also Toporkov performance (Passalis 2011a). This also constitutes a basic factor preventing 2011 for iconographic survival in Russian religious icons. the retention of numerous (ranging from 12 to 72) and to a large extent the 3 Details about the origin and the types of the female demon as well as of the sacred incomprehensible, nonsensical names by the charm’s users. figures which face it see Gaster 1883: 393–397; 1900: 134–162; Fries 1891: 55–70; All the variants of both types are almost exclusively performed against the Basset 1894; Gaster Th. H 1947; Barb 1966; Dujčev 1967; West D. 1991; Burkert evil eye. The fact that is that the context of an oral magico-religious system the 1992: 82–87; Spier 1993; West M. 1997; Fulgum 2001: 142; Ullendorff 2006: 79–82; Lyavdansky 2011: 19–20. evil eye is considered as a broad category of affliction connected with pregnant, parturient women and small children facilitated the association with Gylou. 4 In this paper, the female demon’s name will be spelled mainly as Gylou, as it appears Evidence and testimonies of this widespread connection in lay tradition have in Greenfield study (1989); various other spellings in this paper correspond to the forms found in the texts and to its dialectical variants as found in ethnographic data. been recorded much earlier in amulets/pendants. This explains the usages of For the dialectical variants of the name see below in the section 2 concerning the oral literary exorcisms of Gylou against the evil eye or even the occurrence of the tradition of the texts. names of Gylou as ‘Vaskosini’ or ‘Vaskania’ in them. Finally, the comparative 5 The name of the female demon Gello is attested in a poem by the poet study of the literary types and the lay oral incantations of Gylou is a good (Γελλώ παιδοφιλωτέρα, [Gello paidophilotera]), a fragment of which is registered example of the interrelation between the written and oral tradition of charms by Zenobius Sophista (2. c. a.); for other testimonies found in texts of ancient and later as well as of its feedback which is considered evident in the effect of the writ- see Οικονομίδης 1965: 329–330 and Hartnup 2004: 35, 85–86, 149–150.

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The tradition of the female demon Gylou continues to exist uninterruptedly during of Merambellou (Crete). the Byzantine period (Hartnup 2004: 85–95; Patera 2006: 312–315) until today. 11 The remaining variants of this type are older and dated as follows: seven variants 6 Greek exorcisms of Gylou have been published by Greek and foreign scholars. Allatius of the 15th century (Iriarte 1769: 423–24, IR in Greenfield 1989: 90; Legrand 1881: (1645: 129–133, 133–135) in the mid 17th century published two exorcisms in Latin 298–99, LE in Greenfield 1989: 90; Reitzenstein 1904: 297–298, RE in Greenfield 1989: translation; one of these is also edited by Worrell (1909: 158–161), while the second by 90; McCown 1922: 43–45, TSH, TSL, in Greenfield 1989, 91; Vassiliev 1893: 618–619, Winkler (1931: 109–110); both the exorcisms of Allatius are also published by Gaster VA1, VA2 respectively in Greenfield 1989: 91). (1900: 143–148). Iriarte (1769: 423–24) reports a text from manuscript of Biblioteca National 105 of Madrid (15th century). The reports of text variants increased at 12 The remaining variants of this type are older and are dated as follows: one from the the end of nineteenth century and the beginning of the 20th. Legrand (1881: xviii) 15th century (Greenfield 1989: 86–88, 90), two variants dated between the 16th and reports a text of Parisimus graecus 2316 (15th century); the same text with some the 17th century (Allatius 1645: 133–35; Σάθας 1876: 573–75; AL2 and SA1 respec- slight variants is reported by Reitzenstein (1904: 298–99), Winkler (1931: 112) and tively in Greenfield 1989: 91, 92) and one variant of the first half of the 17th century Worrell (1909: 162). The ones who follow are: Vasiliev (1893: 336–337) who publishes (Allatius 1645: 126–29; AL2 in Greenfield 1989: 90). two texts (of 15th century) from the codex Neapolitanus II C 33 and Barberin. III 3; 13 Cf. also “Some old women in Apeiranthos recall that they used to read the yalou prayer Rouse (1899: 162, , 18th century), Dmitrievskij (1901: 118–19, nineteenth [kharti tsi yalous] so that the exotika would not come to strangle their children at c.); Pradel (1907: 275–76), who presents two variants from Marcianus Graecus II 163 night” (Stewart 1991: 101). (16th c.); Reitzenstein (1904: 297–98) from Parisinus Graecus 2163 (15th century), Janiewitch (1910: 627, 18th century); McCown (1922: 43–45) who reports three texts 14 For the relationship between the exorcisms and the standard worship see Daniélou from Holkham Hall 99 (15th– 16th century; Delatte (1927: 248–249) who presents 1961: 1995–2004. For the Church’s official statement regarding charms and exorcisms one from a manuscript of the National Library of Greece 825 (beginning of the 19th see Κουκουλές 1948: 46–47, 240–41 and Παπαδόπουλος 1926: 232–233. century), and finally Greenfield (1989: 86–90) who publishes one from Bodleian Li- brary of Oxford (d’ Orveille 110, 15th century). As for the Greek scholars, Σάθας (1876: 15 See Goody 1989: 16; cf. “The nineteenth century as well as the early part of the 20th 573–577) reports three texts from Parisinus Graecus 395 (15th–16th century), Ήμελλος teem with evidence indicating that the priests themselves were the performers of (1965: 41–48) reports six variants, 4 of which from a manuscript of mid nineteenth these practices and that they were also the holders of black magic scripts as well as century from Amorgos, and the other two of the end of the nineteenth – beginning medical manuscripts” (Passalis 2011b: 5, 6). of the 20th century, while Οικονομίδης (1940) reports two exorcisms of the end of nineteenth-beggining of the 20th century from Naxos (1940: 65–70) as well as one 16 The name Ιαλλού [Iallou] is connected etymologically from the noun γιαλός [gialos= more by a manuscript from Epirus (Konitsa) of mid nineteenth century (1956, 19–23). seashore, beach], defined as a residence of elves and demonic spirits. Also, Σπυριδάκης (1941–42: 61–62, 67–68) reports two texts from Crete (Sitea) (mid 17 nineteenth century). Two more exorcisms of the end of the nineteenth and beginning of The dissemination and extensive use of the word is illustrated by a number of deriva- the twentieth centuries are reported by Κοντομίχης (1985: 51, 262–263, 266), whereas tives (nouns and verbs), such as (A)γελλούδα/ Γιαλλούδα [(A)gellouda/Gialluda] (ΙΛ, s.v. a variation of the beginning of the 18th century from an unpublished manuscript Γελλούδα), Γιαλλουδάκι [Gialloudaki] (ibid., s.v. Γελλουδάκι), Ελλούι [Elloui] (ibid., s.v. from the area of Merampellou in Crete is reported by Αικατερινίδης (1990: 247–48). Of Γελλούδι), γιαλλουδιάζω /γιαλλουδιασμένος [gialloudiazo, gialloudiasmenos] (ibid., s.v. exceptional importance is, also, the oldest surviving exorcism of this kind, found on a γελλουδιάζω), Γιαλλούρα [Gialloura] (ibid., s.v. Γελλούρα) etc. Cypriot inscription of the 8th century in Cyprus and published by Giannobile (2004). 18 ΙΛ, s.v. Γελλού. See also Αικατερινίδης 1990: 237 and Oeconomides 1965: 328–29. The majority of the aforementioned variants have been a subject of comparative study by Greenfield 1989, which remains the most complete approach to the text so far. 19 Cf. for relevant testimonies in areas where the tradition of Gellou remains alive: “Some old women in Apeiranthos recall that they used to read the yalou prayer (kharti tsi 7 For a comparative presentation of the names see Gaster 1989 and Giannobile 2004: yalous) so that the exotica would not come to strangle their children at night” (Stewart 752 (Tabella 1). 1991: 101); see also Στέλλας 2004: 137. 8 Delatte 1927: 111, DE1 in Greenfield 1989: 91; Janiewitsch 1910: 927, JA in Greenfield 20 The translation in English from the Greek text is mine. 1989: 91; Rouse 1899: 162, RO in Greenfield 1989: 92. 21 The translation in English from the Greek text is mine. 9 Ήμελλος 1965: 41–43, HE1, HE2, HE3 in Greenfield 1989: 90; Σπυριδάκης 1941–42: 61–62, SP1 in Greenfield 1989: 91), one from the late nineteenth century (Dmitrievs- 22 The translation in English from the Greek text is mine. kij 1901: 118–119, DM in Greenfield 1989: 90) and one dated between the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, from the island of Amorgos (Ήμελλος 1965: 23 The connection of Gellou with reptiles and snakes is widely spread. In many literary 45–47, HE5 in Greenfield 1989: 91. traditions Gylou responds to Michael’s question

10 Κοντομίχης 1985: 51, 262–263, 266), and another one, which is published by Αικατερινίδης “[t]hat she enters into houses as a snake, and as a serpent and a winged lizard and (1990: 247–48) from an unpublished manuscript of eighteenth century from the area that she drinks women’s milk that she claws at the eyes at the eyes of small children

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and she strangles infants, she hurls fruit down trees and she dives into the sea and to scorch babies [...]) (Against evil eye, Crete, Φραγκάκι 1949: 48–49); pull many under so that they drown” (Stewart 1991: 101). “Ο θαρμός, ο καϊμός,| τση ξαναστροφης ο γιος,| επήγαινε| στα δίστρατα στα τρίστρατα. Οι Άγιοι 24 The translation in English from the Greek text is mine. Σαράντα τον συνάντησαν και τον ρώτησαν [...]” (Tharmos, kaimos (torture), the odd mother’s son,| off was going | to crossroads.| 25 Where the symbol | appears in the article, it denotes change of verse in case of a When Agioi Saranta (forty saints) encountered him and asked him [...]) (Against rhythmical registered oral charm. wounding and the evil eye, County Kidonia Crete, Βαρδάκης 1926–28: 246); 26 In almost all mentioned charms against a dangerous reptile it is worth noting the “Ως εκίνησ’ ο φταρμός, ο καημός... Άϊ Γιώργης, Άϊ Γιαννης κι Άγιος Παντελέημος του ’παντήξανε connection between Gellou and St. George, who according to Orthodox illustrations, και του λένε [...]” is portrayed riding a horse and killing a serpent with his spear; for the correlation between St. Sisinnios and St. George see Κουρίλας 1957: 49–50 and Ήμελλος 1965: 48–49. (As ftarmos, kaimos set off... St Georgios, St. Ioannis and St Panteleimonas met him and told him [...]) (Against evil eye, Crete, Παπαδάκη 1938: 520); 27 In incantations against nightmare Gellou is, also, included among factors related to its emergence (Karpathos, Μιχαηλίδης–Νουάρος 1932: 160). “[...] λουλλdάν απάντησε. Ο Χριστός το ρώτησε(ν) [...]” (Christ encountered Loulldan and asked [...]) (Salakos , Παπαχριστοδούλου 1962: 28 The examination of this issue is challenging due to the lack of a full compilation and 74–75); publication of Greek incantations. Yet, we will attempt to the best possible extent an accurate insight based on a collection of 4000 incantations in my personal archive. “Χαρκάς, περνάει, πάνω ζωσμένος, κάτω ζωσμένος,| ανάποδα καβαλλικεμένος [...]” Indisputably, future research and the discovery of additional charms could throw (Charkas goes by armoured all over his body, | riding the horse backwards [...]) (Lefkes further light on the issue. Paros, Κορρές 1966: 113–14).

29 These are nonsensical words which often appear in charms against the evil eye or to At this point it is essential to emphasize that, according to the evidence we have, the cure various diseases of the eye. For their meaning see Πασσαλής 2000: 295, 296 and pattern of the encounter of a sacred assisting persona with a male wicked demon is Passalis 2012: 12. more widespread and found in incantations against the evil eye spell.

30 In an equivalent variant (Crete, Πάγκαλος 1983: 363–64) this fact is integrated in the 34 The main characteristic of the rhythmic structure is the lack of a common rhythm narrative, as it is stated that the female demon invaded from κότσια τω μπεγιριώ (the that would fit all verses. legs of horses). 35 Regarding the dissemination of Gellou traditions and exorcisms during Venetian era 31 The previous charm is portrayed as an independent one. However, the same charm, see Κουκουλές 1940: 10 and Παπαδάκης 1976: 118. except for trivial differences, is evident in the last part of another incantation against the evil eye (Χριστοδουλάκης 2011: 273–274). 36 Cf. “Durant l’époque Byzantine, Gylou est une démone puissante, un être surnaturel à part entière, contre lequel il existe des moyens apotropaïques, tandis que les Géloudes 32 A similar incantation against disease caused by malevolent spirits (αερικό), following sont des femmes mortelles a pouvoirs surnaturels, des sorcières, qui peuvent être the same pattern, the female figure is called Φασκατίδα (Faskatida, went with clean punies. Demone et mortelles partages cependant la même fonction qui consiste à at- and combed hair [...] Christ encountered her [...], my translation) (Megara, Βλάχου taquer les enfants” (Patera 2006: 324). For the associations between the story of Gylou 1959: 549–50). and the evil eye see Sorlin 1991: 413–414; Patera 2006: 321–324.

33 “Εξεκίνησε ο βαμός, ο δαρμός,| ο καταποντισμός,| τση κακής ώρας ο γιος,| να πάει στα όρη στα 37 This ritual relies on the stabbing of an onion with seven reeds and is accompanied by βουνά, απάνω στσι μαδάρες,| οζά να ξελερώσει,| βούγια να ξεζευλώσει,| δεντρά να ξερριζώσει,| the following words: “Θα καρφώσω τη Γελλούδα, τη φρυδού [...]” (I shall stab gellouda, αλώνια να ξεσταλικώσει | και τση καλής μάνας το γιο να βρη να θανατώσει.| Και ο Χριστός τ’ fridou [...]) (Sklavi Sitia,Crete, Αικατερινίδης 1990: 252). απάντηξε στο δρόμο που πορπάθιε| κι ευτύς τον αναρώτηξε και λέει του [...]” (There he goes, vamos (=evil eye), darmos,| the disaster,| the cursed moment’s son,| 38 See also for this type of amulet and pendants Schlumberger 1892: 73–93; Bonner 1950: to reach the mountains, on steep bushy areas,| to take off animals’ bells and destroy 211; Russell 1982: 543; Barb 1972: 343–357; Matantseva 1994: 110–121. them,| to unyoke oxen,| to uproot trees| to destroy grains,| to find and kill the good 39 For similar illustrations on an amulet from a Roman graveyard in Bulgar-Keui of mother’s son.| Then, Christ met him on his way and instantly asked him [...]) (Against Kyzikou, see Dorigny 1891: 287, 291; Perdrizet 1903: 46–47. Cf. also a fresco of fifth- evil eye, Πάγκαλος 1983: 359–60); seventh century in the monastery of St. Apollo in Bawit of Egypt depicting St. Sisinnios “Ο φταρμός επήγαινε κι ο Χριστός του ’πάντηξε. |–Πού πας φταρμέ, πρικοφταρμέ; –Πάω να βρω spearing a female demon with an eye thrust by three swords (Clédat 1906: 79–80; άγκουρα να μαράνω,| λιγερή να καψοφλοήσω, μωρά παιδιά να ζεματίσω [...]” Huge 2007: 298). (While ftarmos was going ahead, Christ met him.| – Where are you going, Ftarme, 40 Cf. Perdrizet 1903: 47–48, especially p. 49, where another amulet with an evil eye and bitter Ftarme? – I am going to find children to wither,| a pretty girl to burn| to flame,| almost identical illustrations is presented. See also Perdrizet 1922: 27.

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41 Regarding the association of hatred with the evil eye spell see also Perdrizet 1900: 293. Dorigny, Al. Sorlin 1891. Phylactère alexandrin contre les épistaxis. In: Revue des Études Greques 4, pp. 287–296. Dujčev, I. 1967. Apocrypha byzantino-slavica: Une collection serbe d’excorcismes d’origine Byzantine. In: Zbornik Filos. Fakulteta Univ. Beogard 9, pp. 247–250. Acknowledgements Fries, K. 1891. The Ethiopic Legend of Socinius and Ursula. In: Actes du Huitieme I would like to express my gratitude to Andrei Toporkov, who has invited Congres International des Orientalistes 2, pp. 55–70. me to contribute to the project “The Sisinnius Prayer in literature, fine arts Fulgum, M. M. 2001. Coins Used as Amulets in Late Antiquity. In: Sulochana Ruth and magic rituals (Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asirvatham, Corinne Ondine Pache, John Watrous (eds.), Between Magic and Religion: Interdisciplinary Studies in Ancient Mediterranean Religion and Society. Eastern Africa)” currently under process by Russian State University for the Lanham Md: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 139–147. Humanities (RSUH). This article, published in Incantatio 4, has been the result Gaster, M. 1883. Literatura populară romană. Bucureşti: Ig. Haimann, Librar-Editor. of his inspiring me to deal with the Sisinnius prayer in Greek culture. I would Gaster, M. 1900. Two Thousand Years of a Charm against the Child-Stealing Witch. also like to extend my thanks to Alexey Lyavdansky for reading and providing In: Folklore 11, pp. 129–162. corrections to my paper. Last but not least, I would like to thank Jonathan Gaster, Theodor H. 1947. The Magical Inscription from Arslan Tash. In: Journal of Near Roper for his constant assistance to me and for his significant contribution to Eastern Studies 6/3, pp. 186–188. the further development of charms studies in Europe. Giannobile, S. 2004. 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Ο καβαλλάρης Άγιος Γεώργιος εν τη αγιογραφία και λαογραφία les maléfices et les maladies.In: Revue des Études Greques V, pp. 73–93. δημώδης τύπος εν Θράκη. In: Αρχείον του Θρακικού Λαογραφικού και Γλωσσικού Sorlin, I. 1991. Striges et Geloudes. Histoire d’une croyance et d’une tradition. In: Tra- Θησαυρού 22, pp. 17–186. vaux et Mémoires. Centre de recherche d’histoire et de civilisation byzantine 11, Κουτουλάκη, Ευαγγελία 1962. Γηθειές εκ Κριτσάς Κρήτης. In: Λαογραφία Κ΄, pp. 196–203. pp. 411–36. Κυπριανός, Χρύσ. 1968. Το Παγκύπριον Γυμνάσιον και η Λαογραφία, τόμ. Β΄. Λευκωσία-Κύπρος, Spier, J. 1993. Medieval Byzantine Magical Amulets and their Tradition. In: Journal pp. 171–203. of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 56, pp. 25–62. Κυριαζής, Ν. Γ. 1926. Δημώδης ιατρική εν Κύπρω. In: Κυπριακά Χρονικά Δ΄, pp. 1–186, 251–56. Stewart, C. 1991. Demons and the Devil: moral imagination in modern Greek culture. Μιχαηλίδης-Νουάρος, Μ. 1932. 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Περί του γλωσσικού ιδιώματος της Κρήτης 7. Τα λαογραφικά. Αθήναι: Έκδοσης Κέντρον Ερεύνης Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας Ακαδημίας Αθηνών.

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Παπαδάκη, Ειρήνη, 1983. Λαογραφικά Σύμμεικτα Σητείας. Δ. Γητειές. In: Επετηρίς της Εταιρείας Book Reviews Κρητικών Σπουδών 1, pp. 513–29. Παπαδάκης, Εμμ. 1976. Μορφαί του λαϊκού πολιτισμού της Κρήτης του 15ου και 16ου αιώνος κατά τας γραμματειακάς πηγάς (Doctoral dissertation). Αθήνα. Παπαδόπουλος, Α. Α. 1926. Εξορκισμοί κι εξορκισταί. In: Επετηρίς Εταιρείας Βυζαντινών Tatiana Panina. Slovo i ritual v narodnoi meditsine udmurtov [Word and Ritual Σπουδών 3, pp. 225–234. in Udmurt Folk Medicine . Izhevsk: Udmurt Institute of History, Language and Παπαχριστοδούλου, Χ. Ι. 1962. Λαογραφικά σύμμεικτα Ρόδου. In: Λαογραφία Κ΄, pp. 66–175. ] Πασσαλής, Χ. 2000. Νεοελληνικές λαϊκές επωδές (γητειές, ξόρκια). Μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά Literature, 2014. 238 pp. ISBN 978-5-7659-0795-5 και εθνογραφικές καταγραφές [Neo-Hellenic Incantations (Charms-Spells). Mor- phological Analysis and Ethnographic Data]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. The researches into Udmurt charms and prayers published by Tatiana Vla- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: School of History and Archaeology (online: dykina, Vladimir Vladykin and Vladimir Napolskikh during recent decades http://thesis.ekt.gr/13624). have been intriguing. Now those who know Russian can have a more detailed Ρούσιας, Γ. 1912–13. Επωδαί Ξηροχωρίου. In: Λαογραφία Δ΄, pp. 46–52. overview of the Udmurt charming tradition. Tatiana Panina’s monograph Σάθας, Κ. 1876. Μεσαιωνική Βιβλιοθήκη Ε΄. Εν Βενετία: Τύποις του Φοίνικος. “Word and Ritual in Udmurt Folk Medicine” (Слово и ритуал в народной медицине Σέττας, Δημ. Χρ. 1976. Εύβοια λαϊκός πολιτισμός. Δημοτικά τραγούδια. Επωδές-παραδόσεις-κ. удмуртов) is based on fieldwork and published materials. The heading refers α. Αθήνα. to the intentional complexity of the book, a desire to view, besides the textual Σπανός, Δ. Γ. 1993. Ο Εγρηγορός της Χίου. Εμπειρική ιατρική και Γιατροσόφια. In: Χαβιαρά- Καραχάλιου Σεβαστή (ed.), Η λαϊκή ιατρική της Χίου. Αθήνα: Gasci-Hellas, pp. 420–431. side of the charms, also practices associated with them. Timewise the analysed Σπυριδάκης, Γ. Κ. 1941–42. Εξορκισμοί και μαγικοί κατάδεσμοι εκ κρητικών χειρογράφων. In: material dates back to the 18th century, while the most recent texts originate Επετηρίς του Λαογραφικού Αρχείου 3–4, pp. 60–76. in the fieldwork in 2003. T. Panina explains the background on some Udmurt Στέλλας, Ζ. 2004. Της Πάρος, ζουγραφιές ατσούμπαλες. Αηθειές και άλλα λαογραφικά και concepts (pel’las’kon, kuris’kon) and discusses charms as rhythmically organised γλωσσικά. Αθήνα. texts with a certain psychological and functional orientation: they are meant Τσουμελέας, Σ. 1912–13. Επωδή της Βασκανίας. In: Λαογραφία Δ΄, 289. to influence the outer world to produce the desired result. In her monograph Φραγκάκι, Ευαγγελία Κ. 1949. Συμβολή στα λαογραφικά της Κρήτης. Αθήνα. the author uses different folkloristic methods: comparative-typological, syn- Χριστοδουλάκης, Στ. Ν. 2011. Γητειές, Λαϊκή θεραπευτική της Κρήτης. Αθήνα: Μπατσιούλας. chronic descriptions, comparative-historical method, semantic analysis and the methodology of ethnolinguistics. This is inevitable in the case of a genre with About the Author variegated content, structure and ritual practice. Haralampos Passalis is currently employed as a teacher of Ancient and Modern Due to the linguistic-cultural specific features, confessional circumstances and Literature at the Intercultural School of Evosmos–Thes- (long-term ethnic belief, existence in the intersection of Christianity and Islam), saloniki (Greece) and has also been working as a researcher at the Centre and traditions of neighbouring peoples from different language families the for the Greek Language-Department of Greek Medieval Lexicography (Thes- material is fascinating and complex. The expelling of diseases is the most exten- saloniki) since 1998. He is a member of the compiling team for the Dictionary sive sphere of application of charms, which involves the aetiologies of diseases of Medieval Vernacular Greek Literature 1100–1669 (Λεξικό της Μεσαιωνικής and a myriad of treatment models, not to mention that the sphere itself covers Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας) [vols 15 (2003), 16 (2006), 17 (2011), 18 (2013), everything from hygiene to illnesses, and from cure to social welfare. Panina nineteenth (2014)] published by the Centre for the Greek Language in Thessa- defines healing rituals as a complete cultural system, as part of the Udmurt loniki. Personal research interests mainly focus on Vernacular Folk Literature traditional worldview system, which helps to disclose the codes for verbal and and Tradition as well as on the magico–religious system of Greek Traditional non-verbal texts. The author brings to the fore the personal level of rituals and Culture. discusses the levels of space and time, attributes and actions in practices and verbal charms. She also analyses colour symbolism, and for the first time ever discusses the role of foreign (Russian) verbal charms and Christian prayers in the Udmurt tradition, which so far have deserved little attention. As texts, religious views and activities are treated in an intentionally syn- cretic manner, the book enlightens us about the main facets of folk medicine,

138 www.folklore.ee/incantatio Incantatio 4 139 ISNFR Committee on Charms, Charmers and Charming

Incantatio An International Journal on Charms, Charmers and Charming Issue 4

General Editor: Mare Kõiva Guest Editor for this Issue: Daiva Vaitkevičienė

Tartu 2014 General Editor: Mare Kõiva Contents Guest Editor for this Issue: Daiva Vaitkevičienė doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014 Language editor: Jonathan Roper Layout: Liisa Vesik Introduction 7 Editorial board: Daiva Vaitkevičienė Alaric Hall doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Introduction Claude Lecouteux Lea Olsan Material Artefacts in Oral Tradition: Notes and Family Lore 9 Éva Pócs on the Owners of the Sandvik Manor Magic Art Manuscripts Jonathan Roper Åsa Ljungström Emanuela Timotin doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Ljungstrom Andrey Toporkov Daiva Vaitkeviien Charmers and Charming in Gervėčiai 34 William F. Ryan Lithuanian Community in Belarus Daiva Vaitkevičienė doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Vaitkeviciene Editorial contacts: http://www.foklore.ee/incantatio Plica Polonica in Belarusian Beliefs and Incantations 59 [email protected] Tatsiana Valodzina Vanemuise 42, Tartu 51003, Estonia doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Valodzina

The Oral and Written Traditions of Latvian Charms 82 Supported by and affiliated to projects IRG 22-5 and Aigars Lielbārdis EKKM14-344 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Lielbardis and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in CECT). The Golden Characters of the Letter Fallen from Heaven: 95 A Study Case from the First World War Indexed by the MLA International Bibliography. Laura Jiga Iliescu doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Iliescu

From Written to Oral Tradition. Survival and Transformation 111 of St. Sisinnios Prayer in Oral Greek Charms All rights reserved. Haralampos Passalis doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Passalis

Copyright 2014 the authors and the ISFNR Committee on Charms, Charmers and Charming

ISSN 2228-1355

http://www.folklore.ee/incantatio https://dx.doi.org/10.7592/Incantatio doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Introduction

Book reviews 139 doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_BookReview Tatiana Panina. Slovo i ritual v narodnoi meditsine udmurtov [Word and Ritual in Udmurt Folk Medicine]. Izhevsk: Udmurt Institute of History, Language and Literature, 2014. 238 pp. ISBN 978-5-7659-0795-5 (Mare Kõiva) INTRODUCTION Rita Balkutė (ed.). Galia užburti: kenkimo magija 1982–2012 metų užrašuose [The Power of Magic: Harmful Magic in Recordings from 1982–2012]. Vilnius: R. Balkutės fondas, 2013. 752 pp. ISBN 978-609-95585-0-9 The fourth issue of the journal Incantatio continues publication of the research (Maria Zavyalova) articles based on the presentations at the Charms Symposium of the 16th Con- T. A. Agapkina, A. L. Toporkov, Vostochnoslavianskie zagovory: gress of the ISFNR (in Vilnius, June 25–30, 2013), supplementing them with Materialy k functional’nomu ukazateliu siuzhetov i motivov. other research articles. The main topics of the current issue include oral and Annotirovannaia bibliografiia [East Slavic Charms: Materials for a Functional Index of Plot Structures written charming tradition, transmission of charms and their social functioning, and Motifs. An Annotated Bibliography]. as well as social and ethno-medical aspects of charms. The issue starts with Moscow: Indrik, 2014, 320 pp. ISBN 978-5-91674-322-7 papers dealing with the Baltic region and analyzing materials from Sweden, (Will Ryan) Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. In her article, Åsa Ljungström discusses charms’ manuscripts compiled in Sandvik Manor, Sweden, during the eighteenth century Sweden, together with the life stories of the manuscripts’ owners; the article re- Conference report 145 doi:10.7592/Incantatio2014_Reports veals the biographical and social background to the written charms. The article Charms Sessions at the International Medieval Congress by Daiva Vaitkevičienė is focused on the social functioning of verbal healing (July 7-10, 2014, Leeds, United Kingdom) (Svetlana Tsonkova) charms and presents the results of the fieldwork carried out by the author in 2010–2012 in the Lithuanian community of Gervėčiai, Belarus. The regional problematic is further dealt with by Tatsiana Volodzina, who has, upon special request from Incantatio, submitted a paper on the unique disease kautun (Plica Polonica), which is well-known across the cultural area comprising Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland. The article is amply illustrated by authentic narratives recorded by the author during her fieldwork and which describe the curing of this disease by charming practice in contemporary Belarus. Aigars Lielbārdis in his turn introduces two sides of the Latvian charming tradition: the oral and the written, giving special attention to the written books of the Latvian charms Debesu grāmatas (“Books of Heaven”) and tracing the route of their spread in Latvia. Continuing the theme of written charms, Laura Jiga Iliescu introduces the Central European analogue of the Latvian ‘Books of Heaven’ as they exist in Romania; her article focuses on the apocryphal “Legend of Sunday”, also known as “The Epistle Fallen from Heaven”, one copy of which was carried along by a soldier during the First World War. Last but not least among the research publications of this issue is a broad and exhaustive study by Haralampos Passalis dealing with “The Sisinnios Prayer” and discussing oral and written aspects of this interesting narrative in the Greek tradition with special attention paid to the oral tradition.